[Quoting Autrijus Tang, on March 28 2003, 16:14, in "Re: Module submissio"]
> Well in fact, sure:
> 
>     =for docbook
>     <method name="clone" type="instance">
>       <parameters>
>       </parameters>
>     </method>

Technically, this is true. But is this POD? Would you call this C:

   int foo(int bar) {
     _asm("...");
     _asm("...");
     _asm("...");
     _asm("...");
   }

The =begin, =end and =for directives as recognized by POD parsers[1]
are designed to add specific extensions to POD. However, when you only
use the extensions then POD reduces to the bare mechanism to embed
non-perl information in perl programs.

The 'danger zone' for Mark's idea is to use POD-like stuctures, which
may people trick into thinking they're dealing with POD while in fact
they're not. If running OODF through a POD processor produces anything
useful, people will think it _is_ POD.

Mark writes (http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/mailing-lists/modules/2003-03/msg00503.html):

> POD is a visual markup language, and therefore information is lost
> about what is being documented. 

Along the same lines, the embedded directives like B<>, I<> are wrong
(or at least dangerous) and should be replaced with more descriptive
directives. 

So, I think the bottom line is: either use 100% POD, or make a small
POD-compliant extension to POD, or do not try to POD at all.

If I were Mark, I would leave POD completely and go for something new.

  =begin oudf

  @FILE Java Call In Implementation |
        This file contains functions of Configuration Manager BeanInfo.

  @IN_MODULE FF

  @LOCAL
        Function         Description
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  @FUNC |

  @COPYRIGHT
        ACME Corporation <cp> 1998
  @OWNER
        URB
  @HISTORY
        Seq  Date     RefNum   Version   Who   Description
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  @PR   0  | 981001 | e03371 | 7.2.04  | wwo | Initial version taken from the prototype

  @COMMENTS
   Sync with '$Id: ConfigManagerBeanBeanInfo.java,v 1.7 1998-12-02 15:31:01+01 jv Exp 
$'
   (TAB = 8, INDENT SIZE = 2)
  @XREF

  =cut

Why not?

-- Johan

[1] I want to emphasize "as recognized by POD parsers", since perl
    itself does nothing with any directive.

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